Post Human Ch. 02

The inhabitants were mainly Durabilis. When the Sikatis had been in charge, the city had been exclusive to this particular subspecies. By now there was no rule enforcing this condition anymore, but the diversity within the population had increased only slightly. People rarely moved to a place which was already dominated by one specific kind of human. Those dominant types were usually not too fond of dissimilar newcomers either.

The trip to Bruckmer took all day. Niklas and I talked very little during that time. When we did it was forced, trivial small talk or some random question which occasionally popped into someone's mind. We were clearly not very comfortable with each other's company yet. Being of different subspecies, origin, background and age there was not much common ground to work with. In addition I was still somewhat insecure about talking to a respected member of a Primus academy. It felt like he was also not so sure about how to treat a Fortis who could not just be dismissed as some dimwitted worker.

When we reached the end of the Mers valley, night had set in and the last train had already departed. We would have to wait for the next morning, so Niklas rented two rooms at the first inn we came across at the outskirts of the city. The inn was actually a repurposed former worker's dormitory, a run-down and not very inviting place, but the options were limited. The city was known for its industry and train station, not for tourism and hospitality. I didn't mind at all, with my excitement about the day to come overshadowing any other feelings.

Too agitated to sleep I went for a stroll before going to bed. The first time I had been to this place, it had impressed me due to the sheer size of its structures. Newer settlements founded after the revolution simply could not compete with the dimensions of what had been created under Sikatis rule. Once the marvel at its measurements had worn off, Bruckmer didn't have much to offer though. The buildings were grey, rectangular chunks of concrete all very alike and with little aesthetic appeal; hardly anything of cultural or historical value was left, nature in the immediate vicinity had been cut back drastically and all the remaining alien technology served purely industrial purposes. Not much to see or do.

The people I passed on my walk were about as monotonous as the scenery. The Durabilis tended to be quite uniform in their appearance. They were relatively tall for general human standards, due to their long limbs and neck, second in line after the Fortis in average height. Unlike the Fortis they were thin and sinewy though, sometimes to the point of looking fragile. They often seemed pale, but not necessarily in the sense of having light skin, more as if they were suffering from a lack of blood.

Durabilis were optimized for endurance, patience and efficiency. They needed very little food and sleep, could easily work for up to 40 hours and hardly tired from constant labor. The Sikatis had used them for any kind of menial jobs which didn't require the skillfulness and intelligence of the Callidus, the strength, speed and resilience of the Fortis or the organizational, social and economic abilities of the Eloquens. Running the factories of Bruckmer was a typical example for their occupations. Not just their bodies were very well suited for constant, simplistic work, their minds had been adapted for it as well. Where other humans would probably go insane doing the same task for 40 hours at a time their entire lives, the Durabilis could be quite content with such a fate.

Their general conduct was often lethargic, which made them seem dull and unintelligent. While it was true that many of them were slow in processing thoughts and needed quite some time to grasp new concepts, they were certainly not stupid in general. Once a Durabilis had properly learned something, he or she often excelled at it and greatly improved over time. Their memory was also impressive. They hardly ever forgot anything once properly memorized.

Regarding personality the Durabilis tended to be reserved, secretive and dispassionate. These traits were obvious even when just passing them on the street; moving quietly, even in groups, with maximal efficiency, always heading straight for their targets; rarely making eye contact. I had a mind to visit a bar and have a drink or two to calm my nerves and help me sleep, but the few establishments serving alcohol in the city were already closed. Not surprising when one was familiar with the locals.

Out of options I headed back to the makeshift inn and went to sleep. It was a restless night, alternating between short, uninspired dreams and phases of lying awake. When the anticipated morning came, it was welcomed with deepest relief.

Niklas seemed well rested and in good spirits when he came to wake me. We consumed a humble breakfast in the inn's dining hall. The Eloquens was definitely more of a morning person than me. While we ate he merrily shared some trivia about the region and its history, most of which I forgot the moment I heard it. He took his time, apparently not as anxious to catch the first train as I was. Even more irritating was that he seemed aware of my impatience and if anything it only caused him to move even more leisurely. It didn't get any better after breakfast. He kept dawdling and stalling at any possible opportunity, constantly talking about something nobody had asked him about. His attitude became more and more vexing as we made our way to the station. In the end we even missed the train we had intended to take by a few minutes.

"Well, nothing we can do about it," Niklas remarked still cheerfully. "There will be another one in an hour or so." He took a seat in the vast entrance hall and began rambling about some peculiarities of the Hypertrain network within Europe. Unnerved I paced up and down the hall, not capable of sitting still.

"You should relax," Niklas advised casually.

I turned towards him, wanting to throw some rebuke into his face, when I noticed the hint of a grin on his face; that made me realize something: "You are doing this on purpose!"

"Doing what?" he asked with an expression of mock innocence.

"Annoying me."

"What a preposterous accusation!" he exclaimed, but his face reflected only amusement.

I just looked at him, showing no humor for his absurd charade.

"Fine, yes I have been testing you. I need to evaluate your personality, to really know who I am dealing with. Fortis are known to be short-tempered, impatient and easily provoked. You will face a lot of irritations in the near future and I can't have you snap at the slightest provocation."

"And how did I do?" I asked, not fully appeased by his admission.

"Well enough," he admitted. "No complaining, no outbursts, you seem to have at least a basic control over your temper. But you show your irritation too obviously. Some people might try to make you lose your nerves for real, trying to force a reaction they can use against you. If you reveal your emotions too openly, you just encourage them to go on. Learn to relax, or this might become a problem in the future"

"I will try," I conceded. "Do you intend to do more probing of my personality?"

"Telling you would defeat the purpose wouldn't it? But I will definitely keep an eye on you for the next couple of days, to make sure you are really fit to join the academy. Wilfried is a great person but I can't just rely on his word. If you are as smart as you claim, you will understand that."

I nodded. His reservations were absolutely reasonable, but still I felt some irrational disappointment due to his distrust.

We waited in silence until the next train arrived. Luckily it was on schedule. The temporary drop in my mood was quickly forgotten once we had boarded the wagon. Niklas bought the tickets and we were off to Berlin. We picked a booth of four seats, two pairs facing each other. I effectively occupied three of them, because with my broad frame I needed half of the place next to mine and I had to extend my legs to the point where they blocked access to the one across. Luckily there weren't many passengers and plenty of space left.

The ride was unspectacular. There were no windows to admire the landscape and the tremendous speed we were going was barely recognizable. The only indications of progress were the few intermediate stations we stopped at, the first of which was Vienna.

"So what is the plan once we get to Berlin?" I asked Niklas.

"First we will go to my place, deposit our luggage, get you settled in," he started explaining immediately. He had offered to let me stay in the guest room of his apartment for a while. In time I would have to look for my own accommodations, but it was convenient not to worry about that right away. "The rest of the day I will give you a short tour through the city, so you know your way around. While doing so we might also buy you some new cloth. With your Fortis physique you already stand out enough, it would be beneficial if your outfit didn't scream of tribal origin."

It was hard to argue with that. Fortis were not known for their sophisticated tailoring or a sense of fashion. In the tribe, clothing fulfilled purely functional purposes and was otherwise of little consequence. The materials for crafting cloth were mainly taken from animals also serving as a source for meat, primarily leather and sheep's wool. With the high need for food in the tribe, wasting valuable farmland on plants like cotton was out of the question. Synthetic fibers such as polyester or advanced Sikatis materials were far beyond our capabilities

I simply shrugged. "If you say so."

"In the evening we can go to a bar, if you like."

"Sure," I answered. The one thing I was most interested in had not been mentioned yet. "When will we go to the academy?"

"The admission period for new students starts next week. After that you will be there so often, you will learn to despise the place; no need to rush it. In the meantime we will prepare for the admission, starting tomorrow."

Waiting for the next week would be another strain on my patience but at least I had a time frame now.

"How exactly does this admission process go down?" I asked. So far both Wilfried and Niklas had only given me loose fragments of information about the actual steps and criteria for being accepted into the academy. I knew that there was some kind of test and some other factors, but hardly any details.

"The admission period for new students is one month. During this time you can apply and provide all the information which is necessary or might be beneficial for you to join the academy. At the end of the month the decision whether or not you are accepted will be derived from two scores. In order for you to pass you need more than 50 percent of the points on each, as well as at least 70 percent of the points on the sum of both scores.

One of the scores is determined by a written test which will take four hours and be held at the end of the admission period. It should verify your intelligence and knowledge, consisting of questions from various subjects, including math, natural sciences, logic, language, history, technology, economics and so on. That one is fully up to you. I can help you prepare, but in the end your own abilities will decide whether you pass.

The other score is more complicated. It is supposed to be an evaluation of your character and should decide whether you fit into the academy or not. The criteria are mostly subjective and decided by a committee of high ranking academy employees. First of all you will have to do an interview with the committee. They will ask you some random questions and distribute points for the answers in the end. You will also need to provide a letter of motivation and curriculum vitae, which will be scored as well. I can help you with that. Another component is the grade sheet from your graduation at the school of Zusammenkunft. Even that will be evaluated subjectively, because the diversity and lack of standardization across the schools of this world makes grades rather unrepresentative.

I will be blunt: You will do horribly for all these criteria. The committee will probably grant little more than the points for fulfilling the formal criteria on these assignments. Passing the 50 percent hurdle will be tough."

I looked at Niklas with bewilderment. He took his time before continuing with a clarification of the statement:

"This has nothing to do with your personality or cognitive capabilities. You will simply not get a fair evaluation because you are a Fortis. I know this might be hard to swallow, but that's s how it is. There's a lot of prejudice between the subspecies; the academic world is no exception to that. When people learn of your ancestry, many of them will automatically assume that you are stupid, incapable, unbefitting of their company, maybe even a menace to the institution. Some will dismiss you purely on principle. There has never been a Fortis accepted into an academy and they are content with keeping it that way. Even the more open-minded people might shy away from enabling you to join, because if you screw up, their involvement could be used against them and might bring personal disadvantages. If you had grown up in the city it might not be that bad, but the fact that you are of tribal origin will just give the opposition more ammunition."

This news was thoroughly disheartening. I had experienced discrimination between subspecies first hand in Zusammenkunft. Despite all warnings from Wilfried I had hoped that it might be better in the city.

"There is still hope of course. If you manage to impress with your interview and letter of motivation you might still scrap together enough points to pass. If not, there are still the bonus points. You can improve your character score through providing additional credentials. One such source of bonus points you already have as a fixture: A sponsor; an employee of the academy who will help you with starting your studies. That would be me.

I also have a letter of commendation from Wilfried, though I am not sure whether that will do us any good. It is not an official credential but it might sway some of his former colleagues. The most promising way to get enough bonus points would be a recommendation from a current full professor at the academy of Berlin. With that we would pass the 50 percent hurdle for sure. Getting it will be difficult though.

You also need to keep in mind that if you get just enough points for the character score, you will need to compensate by doing very well on the test, so you get the 70 percent for the overall score."

All the new information was discouraging and made the obstacles in my way to becoming a student of the academy very tangible.

"We will worry about all that in due time though," Niklas quickly added, seeing my dejected reaction. "Today we focus on getting you familiar with the city life. While doing so we might as well enjoy ourselves; so no more talk about the academy."

It took some time but eventually Niklas succeeded in taking my mind off the depressing outlook on my academic future for the rest of the journey. Until we reached the Hypertrain station in Berlin we talked about inconsequential trivialities.

From the Hypertrain we switched to Berlin's metro system. The trains and tracks of the metro were also based on Sikatis technology. During the alien occupation they had been implemented as a replacement for the existing metro network of the city. They used and extended the already present infrastructure, making the current layout of the public transport similar to what it had been like at the end of old humanities age.

Having never been to a city with a metro the huge system was a bit overwhelming at first, but the concept was simple enough to understand it quickly. We went roughly to the west, switched lines twice and ended up in Charlotteloqu, which was known as the largest Eloquens district of the city. Even here the subspecies usually kept to themselves, at least when it came to living arrangements.

Niklas' apartment was in the 12th floor of a 32 floor building not far from the metro station. The fact that it was that tall sufficed to tell that the structure was constructed during Sikatis times. Nobody built that high in our time anymore. Two of the four elevators were still originals instead of some makeshift replacement created with the limited human expertise after the revolution. My trust in either kind was limited.

The apartment itself was nice, though a bit cramped for my proportions. The bed in the guest room was shorter than me, but I could live with that. At least I was able stand upright in all the rooms. For a Fortis that was already a blessing. We didn't stay in Niklas' home for long. After a quick shower and a change of attire we stowed our luggage and set off to explore Berlin.

The city was absolutely fascinating. It had been one of the great Sikatis metropolises, those places which had been chosen by the alien tyrants as their seats of power. Each metropolis had been created from an existing city of old humanity and they had been crafted into the largest, most populous and most technologically advanced settlements on the planet. More than half of the human population lived in these huge cities before the revolution.

After the war, many had set out to reconquer the countryside, eager to leave the Sikatis behind once and for all. A large part had stayed though and the reason for that was obvious: No other part of the world offered this level of technology. All the wonders the aliens had brought with them were concentrated here. Nuclear fusion power plants supplied the city with almost limitless amounts of energy, keeping all the fantastic devices working which made life so convenient: Artificial light, heating, cooling, water supply, refrigeration, public transport, display screens, communication networks, automated waste disposal and recycling, greenhouse towers spawning tons of food matter independent of weather and season, factories producing various essential wares and consumables; all these things were enabled by Sikatis technology, much of which we hardly understood and were unable to replicate properly.

It was a paradoxical world. Around here everything was automated and dominated by technology while only a few kilometers from the city border, where the power grid didn't extend to, humans chose to live in small, primitive farming communities. Even more bizarre was the thought that these simple settlements might be the future of our species.

Even the superficial insight I got on my first day in Berlin made it painfully obvious that the general opinion was true: The cities were falling apart. They were subjected to a slow decay which had set in the day humanity reclaimed its independence and worked with ever increasing speed.

The Sikatis metropolises had been created to last for millennia. Millennia under Sikatis rule that is. As it turned out, humans were not quite as proficient at managing and sustaining the cities. The cause of the problem lay in the way the Sikatis had governed over humanity. A key concept had always been to enable us to fulfill our designated duties while letting us know as little as possible about the world around them. Just like the Hypertrains, pretty much every construct and every machine the aliens had introduced, could be assembled from building blocks which were manufactured in highly automated factories. Repairing them was as simple as identifying the faulty building blocks and replacing them by new ones. This way, human workers could build and maintain very complex technological environments without having any clue how the machines they built and used actually worked. Everything was made as non-transparent as possible. Especially the underlying scientific principles of all the machinery were well-guarded secrets. Division of labor on an extreme level further enabled to build up an efficient yet utterly oblivious workforce.